“In sports and politics, so much money for none of the above!”

Oct 28, 2012 Sports

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Colin E. H. Croft
Sometimes, like Haiti’s huge 2010 earthquake, events take precedent over normal sporting menus.  Since this pending USA 2012 election could affect us all logistically, it deserves special mention!
Starting this weekend, US citizens; indigenous or adopted; the latter of whom I am one, could cast early votes for November 6’s General Election, be they Democrat of Republican.

For me, that is actually the easy part, as, for whatever reasons, I have never voted in USA previously.  Indeed, to this day, nearly 60, I have never actually entered a polling booth anywhere!
I had planned to change that this time, so I went to all possible lengths to have myself fully registered to vote this year, as an ‘Independent.’  Now, I am not so sure at all!
Overall, I imagined that I had voted for the rest of my life already anyway, when, somehow, I managed to vote 24 times (fact!) in Guyana’s due 1978 election which was only eventually held on December 15, 1980!
Unbelievably, by then, I was actually in Pakistan, playing for West Indies!  Only in Guyana!
But, after seeing three truly strange and funny debates between incumbent Barack Obama and challenger Mitt Romney, reminding me much of those similar Looney Tunes arch-enemies, Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, I am of the true belief now that the best vote could probably be; “None of the above!”
This whole façade is so distasteful, even disgraceful, that one wonders where all this is leading to!
People of that certain age might remember the late, great comedian Richard Pryor acting as Montgomery Brewster in 1985’s “Brewster’s Millions”, a brilliant film about comedy, stupidity, confusion and fun.
In it, Pryor, who was of course black, had to properly, industriously, dispose of US$30 million in thirty days, without giving any away or gaining assets, to be totally penniless at that month’s end, if he wanted to inherit, from his great-uncle who incidentally was white, a princely sum of US$300 million!  Hilarious!
Brewster eventually decided to use some of the US$30 million to run for Mayor of New York.  On finding out how sleazy that situation can become, he decided to run on a motto that stated that none of the candidates was good enough for the position – “None of the above!”  Not surprisingly, that motto won!
Now, according to all facts that I can glean, POTUS – President of the United States of America – has an overall annual salary of US$400,000.
By simply mathematics, if he or, (not yet), she is in office for the maximum allowed eight years, then that person would be paid a maximum US$3.2 million gross.  Easy enough; adequate enough!
How come, then, can these candidates justify spending, between them, as openly told by the Federal Election Commission, (FEC), who oversees such things, the almost unimaginable sum of nearly US$3 Billion already, for November 06’s election?
Considering that minimum wage in Florida is a measly US$7.75 per hour, this is truly scandalous!
However, “Brewster’s Millions”, President Obama and Governor Romney are not the only ones that I thought about recently.  Relevantly, late cricket entrepreneur R Allen Stanford should be remembered now too.
Ironically, two weeks ago, CNBC, business arm of National Broadcasting Corporation, aired an episode of ‘American Greed’, No. 67, featuring R. Allen Stanford – “The Dark Knight”!
Comparing Stanford to that other “Dark Knight”, Bruce Wayne – Batman – is not altogether incorrect.  They both were, partly fictionally, seriously rich!
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) suggested, eventually proved, I suppose, that Stanford led a US$7 Billion Ponzi scheme, using garnered investor funds on a very lavish life-style.  Earlier this year, he was sentenced to 110 years in jail.  Talk about big figures!
You really had to see that programme to fully believe it!
It is thought that R Allen came to SEC’s notice during USA’s 2000, 2004, even 2008 General Elections, when SEC suggested that he somehow concocted to donate massive financial sums to candidates of both political parties, perhaps trying to hedge his bets either way for the future!
That seems smart, but it is no wonder SEC came down so hard on him!  Only in the USA!
Strangely, this very week, some very prominent politicians who Stanford had financed have been court-ordered to return the millions they got from him!
Also relevantly, West Indies recent ICC World T-20 2012 success should have brought Stanford to mind.
They, indeed International Cricket Council too, have a bit to thank R. Allen Stanford for, regardless!
In one game, v New Zealand, West Indies were down and nearly out.  They had a one-over eliminator, the scores having been tied at 139.  West Indies won that, thanks to Marlon Samuels and Chris Gayle.
However, it must be remembered that it was indeed Stanford, in his 2nd Caribbean series, 2009, who first instituted that “Super Over” stuff anywhere, allowing Guyana to win, courtesy of Narsingh Deonarine’s six from the final delivery of the “new” one-over eliminator, after original scores were also tied!
For once, money and common sense just about came together intelligently.  If only the politics can do the same.  Enjoy!

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